Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-06-02
and crushed iron, while Lady Stair
was thrown violently against the wall

and crushed iron, while Lady Stair
was thrown violently against the wall
Of the tunnel.
Then came darkness and oblivion.
1t was unfortunately an accident of
too common occurrences collision of
two passenger trains, In the midst Of
the terrible cold and darkness OF q
winters night.
For years afterward this was written
of and spoken Of as one Of the worst
accidents Of its kind. One of the boilers
burst, and the scalding steam seemed
to fill the tunnel. Many Of the passen-
gers were crushed beneath the debris OF
the carriages-many wera burned to
death, for some Of the carriages took
fire; others were killed by the shock
by the cruel blows Of falling iron; others
half burned, half blinded, crawled away
from the awful wreck. One engine
driver was killed, the other MANNED;
both guards, strange to say, were unin-
iured. Never was scene SO terrible
witnessed before. When anything like
order was established, two men were
sent, one each way, with signals to
stop other trains from entering the
tunnel; men were sent also to the
hNoASSt StaeACho 81 SCdlNh vi ~
rest did their best in looking after the
dead, the dying, the wounded. When
help came, and was properly organized,
under the broken up wreck OF first
class carriage the body of woman was
found-a spectacle so horrible'that the
men turned from it sick and shuddering
The burning wood had fallen on the
head, the neck, and face, there was
Ath f loft httt oh Ix,,r. a
mass beyond all human recognition.
But there was gold watch, with
jeweled initials; there was purse
with golden clasp, on which a mono
gram was engraved. In the pocket o.
the jacket was silver filigree card
case, which one of the men opened, and
the name on the half-burned, half
scorched cards was:
Lady Stair"
They looked from one to another.
"This Is the body Of Lady Stair
they said, one to another. 1.-THE wife oI
Lord Stair OF Oakclifle Towers; VIC
must send word at once"
Not three feet from them lay Lady
Stair herself; the sound of their voices
reused her from her terrible swoon o.
fear. Where was she? All dark dread
full darkness, with the glare of red
flames, the lurid light of torches, the
horrible cries of those in mortal pain
What had happened? She knew not
she could not remember anything a
| first, then the maids words returned
TO her:
"rhis is Estham Tunnel"
There must have been an accident
then, in Eastman Tunnel. Close to hel
lay the half-burned wreck of a carriage
the half-burned body of woman; !
group Of men STOOD by; she made NJ
move or stir, she uttered no cry, sh,
spoke no word, she was too daZed, too
bewildered.
Then some others came up.
"What is the matter here?" asked
an authoritative voice.
"a lady found dead, sir, under first
class carriage"
The speaker bent forward vita
shudder of horror.
mo one will ever recognize her il
this world again, sir; where the carr;
age fell on her, there is nothing lei
but charred mass; these will identity
ner, there are a watch, card CT Sc
and several other things"
at is Lady STAIR" said the one il
authority, bending over the relics.
He tried to detach the chain, but i
was fastened in some intricate name
in the button-holes of the jacket.
"There is quite enough for identified
! tion," said the new conner. Nov m,
men, carry the unfortunate lady in tn,
shed, lay these things by her, so tina
her friends may recognize them.
terrible sight; quick, men,"
"Who is killed." asked another VIII
Joined the group.
LADY Stair, of Oakcliffe. She wa
in first-class carriage-three from til,
engine-burned-horribly."
Then came two men with piece o
board, and what had been so short
time since living. breathing woman
was laid upon it and carried solemn!
away.
LADY Stair of Oakcliffe; quite young
travelling to London-burned beyon'
recognition" were the phrases tina
even In the horror and darkness fifth
tunnel were heard.
Then the torches were carried furthe
down the line, the men passed on, an
the real Lady Stair, whom every on
believed dead, was left lying close t
the wall.
at is poor Phoebe" she thought t
herself, "they have found NY thing
upon her and they believe it to be me.
Through the darkness and the at
mosphere Of horrors, a sudden ide
came to her, They believed her deaf
She had been longing for death. Her
was chance of death in lie. Sh
rose slowly, and clinging with on
hand to the damp wall now reekin
with steam, she walked to the end Q
the tunnel; it seemed to her an endles
walk. She knew when she reached the
mouth Of the tunnel by the sudde
blowing Of the fresh, cold air.
By the feeble light of the moon sh
saw before her steep bank; she cline,
1t with difficulty-climbed the woode
fence and fell exhausted on the whit
crisp grass of the meadow bank.
~ am dead in life," she said to hei
self. dead in life."